17 NCPI MPs to join BJP soon: Rebel TMC MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia's big 'Durga Puja claim

NEW DELHI: Seventeen of the 20 MPs are likely to join the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party either before or after Durga Puja in October, rebel TMC leader and Cooch Behar MP Jagadish Chandra Barma Basunia claimed Monday.According to Basunia, the MPs have decided to make the switch together, which he said would ensure that they are not disqualified under the anti-defection law."We are 17 MPs going to the BJP together. Since more than two-thirds of the 20 members will be moving, the anti-defection law will not apply to us," Basunia said.The development comes nearly three months after 20 dissident TMC MPs announced their merger with the little-known Nationalist Citizens Party of India (NCPI) on June 14 and extended support to the ruling NDA.The anti-defection law requires at least two-thirds of members of a legislature party to agree to a merger to avoid disqualification. In the case of the 20-member NCPI group, the threshold is 14 MPs.Basunia said, however, that three of the 20 MPs from the minority community would not formally join the BJP, citing the political and administrative dynamics in their constituencies.He named Abu Taher Khan, Khalilur Rahaman and Yusuf Pathan, saying they would extend support to the NDA from outside."They will support the NDA, and may be given important responsibilities or portfolios," Basunia said.Basunia's claim comes days after he and his wife, TMC MLA Sangeeta Roy, faced protests on returning to their ancestral home in Sitai, Cooch Behar.Locals and BJP workers staged demonstrations against the couple amid criticism of Basunia's political shift. A TMC office near his residence was also allegedly set on fire during the unrest.Basunia has maintained that he has severed ties with the TMC and is now aligned with the NDA.The Mamata Banerjee-led party suffered a massive breakaway of Parliament and assembly strength after its stinging defeat in Bengal polls at the hands of the BJP. Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar led the faction of rebel Lok Sabha members to form a new party NCPI.Get the latest India News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.